The Events Space - March Update
In the (not-so) bleak Midwinter…
With spring in sight, we can now look back on the last three months in The Events Space and forward to the exciting events we’ve got coming up in the near future. We’ve been privileged to welcome an eclectic mix of guests to the space over the last three months, and we’re thrilled to bring you news of what's next from an ever growing programme of events and visitors.
The start of 2020 brought with it the commencement of our first ever Festival of Hobbies, a series of online content and events that ran throughout January. The festival was all about the positive impact that having a hobby can have on your mental and physical health and the importance of engaging in something that is outside of your daily 9-to-5. The response that we had was fantastic and we were able to feature over 20 interviews and features on our website, each with a new hobby in the spotlight. Our wonderfully creative tenants were kind enough to share with us their own hobbies and how others can get involved - from yoga to music promotion to playing the bagpipes, it seems that everyone needs something that is just for them! A point of discussion that came up time and time again was how important it is to have a hobby that allowed you to “switch of”. There is something meditative about doing something just because you enjoy it - and that’s a lesson we want to take forward with us for the rest of 2020! All of the Festival of Hobbies blogs are still available to read on our website.
Alongside the featured online content as part of the festival, we also hosted a number of workshops centred around the theme of hobbies. We welcomed publishing expert and literary industry veteran Alison Jones in mid-January, who shared her expertise of writing and publishing non-fiction with a room full of aspiring writers and creatives. Over the course of the two-hour session, Alison delivered a talk and open-forum discussion all about how writing a non-fiction book can transform you and your business, and tackled some of the traps that new writers often fall into.
That same weekend, The Events Space was transformed into a fully-functioning art studio by local artist and digital-painting extraordinaire Vicky Platt, who led a hands on afternoon workshop on Gelli Printing. Attendees of all ages enjoyed getting their hands dirty and producing some wonderful creations - with appropriate pauses for tea and biscuits of course…even Picasso needed a cuppa and a digestive every now and then!
Towards the end of the month, our very own Etsy Award winning Louise Walker (AKA SincerelyLouise) took charge of a knitting workshop. Despite the cold weather, it wasn’t a scarf Louise and our guests were knitting - it was an octopus. Louise creates fantastically unique knitted critters and creatures of all shapes and sizes for her own business, and was nice enough to share some of her creative spirit with some curious knitting novices.
In February, alongside our bookings, Harland Works hosted the first ever Sheffield Young Artists Showcase. Following the installation of a brand new picture hanging system in December, The Events Space can now welcome a variety of displays from local artists and creatives. To celebrate this new addition, we welcomed a plethora of work from some of South Yorkshire’s most exciting emergent artistic talent. For one night only, the walls and tables in The Events Space were adorned with a collection of work including protest photography, illustration, line-drawing, painted canvas, oil on hardboard and even Greek sculpture! Over the course of the evening, the exhibition was enjoyed by the public and for many of the artists, was the first time their work had been shown outside of school and university. We had a great time working with some fantastic, creative young people - so watch this space for future events!
Spring is in Bloom…
The next couple of months are also looking bright, with new workshops, talks and events to look forward to.
March sees the beginning of a new series of workshops in The Events Space by local charity and fundraising expert Beth Crackles. The workshops (which begin on 17th March) will focus on areas such as funding strategy, developing a case for support toolkit and building and utilising corporate relationships. Beth, now dedicating her time to training local charities and non-profits after 10 years working in the charity sector in London, relocated to Yorkshire in 2017 and began working with charities on a freelance and interim basis.
We recently had the pleasure of interviewing Beth on the challenges facing charities in 2020 and on the subject of her workshops, Beth said; “I think that there are a handful of tools and principles when it comes to fundraising that every fundraiser should know about and use. I’ll be sharing these and working through them in the workshops. In the strategy session, I have a template for people to use as a basis and to tailor for their organisation. In the case for support and corporate workshops, people will be focusing on how to develop their own case for support and plan their own corporate fundraising. So in a nutshell, super practical!”
Beth’s workshops all take place right here at Harland Works, and you can book your place now, below:
Funding Strategy and Diversification (17 March, 1 day)
Developing your Case for Support Toolkit (21 April, ½ day)
Corporate Partnerships for Social Change (28 April, ½ day)
In April, annual Sheffield mainstay The Festival of Debate kicks off an exciting two-month programme of events for it’s 5th year! We’re delighted to be part of the festival this year, as we partner with Sheffield’s fantastic Waypoint Training, who will be delivering an important talk and discussion around the theme of recovery from drugs and alcohol misuse.
Waypoint provide vocational training that promotes excellence in working with a range of vulnerable groups, including drug and alcohol users. All of their training is delivered with the aim of improving the well-being of these groups and to promote excellence in drug and alcohol work.
The title of the interactive workshop held at Harland works as part of The Festival of Debate is “Recovery is Just Another Form of Diagnosis”.
Waypoint have described the topic as being about “Recovery Narratives”.
“Recovery narratives are seen as empowering individuals, but do they imply illness? Do they imply a half full glass needing filling, something broken needing fixing? This interactive workshop will explore how ‘recovery’ language may disguise the role of power imbalances in creating emotional distress. Do we blame the individual for the behaviour they have adopted to survive power imbalances? And do services steal recovery stories for their own needs?”.
You can get your free tickets here.
April also sees the start of a week-long residency in The Events Space by SUTco - Sheffield University’s drama collective. The space at Harland Works turns theatre as boards are tread and curtains go up on SUTco’s latest spring spectacular!
SUTCo is one of the leading student theatre companies in the UK and vibrant student city of Sheffield. Each year, eight shows are performed, including two shows in alternative venues alongside external projects. This year, SUTco selected Harland Works as one of their alternative venues, and we’re very excited to host them.
Information about the show has yet to be released, so keep an eye on our social media and blog over the next few weeks!
As always, The Events Space is available to book for your own event. With a range of layout options catered for, the space can be utilised to best suit the needs of your function. The room comes fully equipped with a kitchen, projector, screen and audio equipment, as well as meeting essentials such as flipchart, pens and unlimited high-speed WI-FI - all included in the room price.
We know room hire can be expensive and often out of reach for small businesses and charities. We keep our pricing simple, clear and affordable. That’s why The Event Space is available to hire for just £20 per hour. Charities can apply for a free one-off initial booking through our charity of the month scheme.
For more information, visit the “Event Space” tab on our website.